1. Field of the Invention
This invention pertains generally to devices relating to utility meter pedestals.
2. Description of the Prior Art
This invention relates to a preconstruction utility meter pedestal that is adapted to be mounted on a building foundation, after the foundation has been completed but before the construction of a building on the foundation has been started. In new construction projects, there typically is no utility service until construction has progressed to a certain degree. Utility companies are often unwilling to run utilities to a site until the service meter can be secured from theft of service and secured from damage during continued construction. Conversely, those same utility companies, particularly electricity providers, have a commercial incentive to begin service as early as possible to generate profits from sale of service. Contractors who run power tools such as electrical saws prefer to have on-site power so that they can avoid transporting portable electric generators to the site. An additional benefit of on-site electrical service is the availability of electric lighting without the noise of portable generators, which allows workers to work or set up before daylight and to work or clean up after sundown without disturbing surrounding residents.
An additional issue that has grown in importance is the act of bringing the utilities to the site from the common line. Typically, utilities are laid at the beginning of a development to one or more distribution points, such as utility boxes at the street easement between parcels. Nearly all electrical, telephone and cable services are distributed to developments below ground, as are all natural gas services. This has caused problems in the sequential digging of trenches from the most downstream utility distribution point to the construction site. Each utility typically digs its own trench, but only after having any previously installed utilities marked, which adds costs but still does not eliminate accidents.
Natural gas utilities have been bypassed in recent advancements in providing preconstruction utility service to construction sites. Safety requirements to keep gas utility meters a minimum distance from electrical connections that are defined as a “source of ignition” and to keep electrical lines a minimum distance from gas lines in a common ditch, as well as scheduling complications, have discouraged the use of the same trench for electrical and gas lines. Further, the lack of security has discouraged the early installation of gas service.
However, there is a benefit to providing natural gas to construction sites. Once a construction is framed and shielded from the elements, environmentally sensitive work can begin. For example, finish carpentry and drywall installation must wait until the interior is protected from rain or snow. However, in northern climates, the temperature can also adversely affect materials and workers. By providing heat into the framed construction, the work season can be extended into cold weather. Although portable propane heaters are often used, such heaters typically require very large and cumbersome tanks and are very localized in their effect. Providing natural gas service to the site allows for early installation and use of the building heating system. This is a much more cost-efficient source of heat, greatly reduces the effort required by eliminating “portable” propane tanks, and can provide uniform and widespread heat throughout the building. The natural gas provider commercially benefits from the increase sale of services and potentially benefits from the common use of a single utility ditch to the construction site. Unfortunately, to date there have not been accepted natural gas preconstruction meters that are sufficiently reliable and which can ensure proper mounting and spacing relative to nearby electrical service.
Electrical preconstruction utility meter pedestals have become more common in the industry. However, preconstruction gas utility meters are less common and essentially involve the earlier installation of a meter directly on an upwardly extending rigid gas supply line. Another known preconstruction installation is the use of a standard brick bracket which is nailed into the studs and solely supported thereupon, leaving the utility connections unprotected.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,864,467 (incorporated herein by reference) discloses a utility meter pedestal which is adapted to be mounted on a building foundation and which includes a rigid, vertical steel post, having an L-shaped cross section, to which top and bottom steel plates are fixedly secured, with the bottom plate comprising a mounting plate lying flush against the outer face of a building foundation at a below grade location and being fastened to the foundation by power driven nails. A utility meter box is mounted on a front face of the upper plate. A rigid, metal flat strap is secured to the rear surface of the metal post in a position between the upper and lower plates, and it extends rearwardly from the post, at a right angle thereto. The rigid, metal flat strap overlies the top of the foundation, and is secured to the top of the foundation by power driven nails. An elongated plastic service conduit is attached to the front face of the post and it extends in parallel spaced relationship with the post. The service conduit houses an electrical service line that extends from an underground utility line to meter in said utility meter box. The electrical service line conduit is secured to the metal post by means of a clamp bracket.
A problem encountered in the use of the utility meter pedestal disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,864,467 is that the rigid, metal flat strap secured to the top of the foundation is subject to being detached from the foundation and the utility meter pedestal pulled outwardly away from the foundation by building contractors, because the location of said strap conflicts with the operations of carpenters and masons working behind the pedestal in the process of constructing a building on the top of the foundation. Under such construction conditions, the utility meter pedestal disclosed in said patent is subject to damage, and a subsequent rejection by electrical inspectors. Also, follow-up repair operations are necessitated which increase the costs of employing such utility meter pedestals.
A disadvantage in the use of the utility meter pedestal disclosed in the '467 patent is that it is difficult to secure accurately the pedestal post in a vertical position on a foundation, because of the fact that both the lower mounting plate and the rigid, metal flat strap for attachment to the top of the foundation must be attached by power driven nails while the post is held manually in a vertical position by the use of a carpenter's level. In many instances, the action of inserting the power driven nails moves the rigid, metal flat strap and lower plate, so as to move the pedestal post out of the desired vertical position during such action.
Still another disadvantage in the use of the utility meter pedestal disclosed in the '467 patent is that it requires an additional member, besides the rigid, vertical steel post, in the form of a service line conduit to house the power line extension from an underground utility service line to the meter box attached to the top of the rigid, vertical steel post. The utility meter pedestal disclosed in said patent also does not provide any service conduit, for housing communications cables such as phone and cable television service lines, to prevent damage to such cables during a building construction period. Without such a separate service conduit the last mentioned cables are left lying on the ground by the foundation where they may be damaged, and need repair or replacement, at added costs.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,400,212 to Hanson (incorporated herein by reference) provided an improvement over the existing art by providing a superior preconstruction utility meter for electrical and other cable services. However, there was still the obstacle of locating and coordinating installation of gas utility in addition to other utilities.